A tuner which operates according to a so-called "direct tuning system" is available in which a desired broadcast station can be selected when an operator inputs, through an operating button, the frequency of the desired broadcast station.
However, this type of conventional tuner is disadvantageous in that the desired station can only be selected when the operator has remembered the exact broadcast frequency. For example, consider the situation where this type of tuner is installed in an automobile, and the operator of the automobile wants to listen to a local FM broadcast station over the automobile's stereo radio receiver, but the operator only vaguely remembers the frequency of the local broadcast station (e.g., the operator can only remember the two high-order digits of the broadcast frequency). In this situation, it will take a relatively long period of time (during which time the operator must adjust the inputted broadcast frequency). before the operator is able to select or input the frequency corresponding to, the desired broadcast station.
A device is also available in the art in which the manufacturer or operator of the device has previously stored the names of broadcast stations in memory so that when anyone of the broadcast stations is selected with preset button means, its name is displayed on a display unit.
However, this type of device also suffers from shortcomings. More particularly, with this type of device, broadcast station names are not used to select a broadcast station. Therefore, in the case where the operator has forgotten which preset buttons have been assigned to which broadcast stations, or in the case where the operator driving an automobile desires to listen to, for example, an FM broadcast station over the automobile s stereo radio receiver, and knows the name of the desired FM broadcast station but not the broadcast frequency, the operator is not able to select the desired broadcast station.